Slowly, I am doing some new landscaping, and painting, etc to my house. With this economy and the down side of selling
by
Terri J
+5
one day, can anyone tell me how I should go about making sure I don't invest money into things I will never recoop? Home sales in my area have not improved at all!
8 answers
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Painting is relatively inexpensive and can never hurt...with the right color choices...inside or outside? Working in your area put me through grad school at Dickinson. I would do the landscaping to make the place appealing to you...doesn't take a ton of money to do that either. What were you thinking about?
HandyANDY - Handyman & All Repairs, LLC
on Feb 24, 2012
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Terri...when remodeling number are "crunched" the biggest winners are kitchens and baths...but even here the ROI is rarely close to 100%...for larger projects 65 to 70 seems to be the upper limit. These numbers are for "normal" projects where contractors are brought in. As a DIY the picture is much rosier. As Handy said paint is cheap...and with your labor a simple inexpensive makeover can have some dramatic results...both in appeal and ROI
KMS Woodworks
on Feb 24, 2012
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I sort of thought along the same lines as both of you did. I have been thinking about adding a landscape that I like, little here, little there, with small gardens around it. The kitchen, I was given a great idea of DIY island, but I want to be able to slide it into an opening that I have so you can just pull it out as needed or leave it there for breakfast. I have to start taking pictures for ya'all to get good ideas. Painting- I just did the stairs, living room and hall in HGTV paint called "Winter Calm" to go along with my Mystical Taupe tile. I am going to give a carpeting allowance one day, as that is over my budget. And I am trying to stay neutral w/ the exception of matiching decor and my office/library/craft room, where I want to go w/ Florida State colors for now. I can always repaint that room b/ listing. Thanks for the feed back guys!
Terri J
on Feb 24, 2012
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I agree that landscaping is really a time commitment more than a money commitment and you should do the landscaping that will make you happy every day when you look at it. Once you have done enough landscaping to create nice curb appeal, I don't think you can do that much else to boost resale value with landscaping. For other projects, this is a really good report that shows return on investment for projects around the house: http://www.remodeling.hw.net/2011/costvsvalue/division/middle-atlantic.aspx
3po3
on Feb 24, 2012
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I agree with Steve on the landscaping...a bit like gardening...more therapy than cost savings. A few years back I planted a few rows of peas...by the time you factor in the cost of the seeds ( $1.89) and a few months care and feeding my entire "crop" could have been purchased for the cost of a few basic cans of ready to eat at the store.
KMS Woodworks
on Feb 25, 2012
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I was talking to Ana M the other day (she puts in a lot of work to her home and does all her projects herself). She said something very valuable. Don't invest more than what real estate in your area is worth. So, if your investment exceeds the average value of a the homes in your neighborhood, it's too much. You will never re-coop that. Here is a link to her profile: http://www.hometalk.com/member/e43pdeqyx1
Miriam Illions
on Feb 26, 2012
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Miriam, putting a small island on wheels is one of the items my realetor told me would be of great help. My kitchen opens into the dining room, so there is always plenty of room to eat meals, but i will still have it with a slight over hang for eating breakfast, snacks etc. This will be a DIY project as Ana's was, and I will end up buying a DIY new counter kit from Lowes and Backsplash one day when...I am not staying here forever, but the realetor told me to go ahead with certain projects now, and wait until I am goiong to sell for others. It's just going to take alot of time, time, time, time and as little money output as possible. This house is just way to big for me!
Terri J
on Feb 26, 2012
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A realtor will know what is best to invest your money into to prepare your home for sale. Curb appeal is very important and what buyers will see first upon viewing your home. Don't go overboard if you don't feel it necessary to replace carpet. Go neutral on your walls and paint if need to and get your carpets professionally cleaned. Even new hardware for kitchen or bathroom cabinetry and an inexpensive updated chandelier can do wonders to instantly update or freshen up a living space! Get your home staged and it is amazing how your home will be transformed when you are on a budget!
Virtually Staging Properties, Inc
on Mar 06, 2012
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